Celebrate World Sepsis Day 2024 with Inspiring Ideas and Special Offers

The 13th World Sepsis Day is just 2 months away. Every year on September 13, individuals and organizations worldwide come together to educate and inform communities about the importance of early recognition and treatment of sepsis.

This year, we want to make World Sepsis Day bigger and better than ever. Join over 7,000 facilities and organizations worldwide by hosting your own event. Discover ideas, inspirations, and exclusive offers from our WSD Shop to help spread awareness and make a significant difference in the fight against sepsis.


Public Events

  • Host sports events like community walks or runs, bicycle tours, and volleyball tournaments – the range of possible events is wide. Use pink t-shirts to attract attention, like our WSD T-shirts or our sports jersey, and plan the route so lots of people see you, for example through a town square, or similar. Hand out information leaflets along the way.

  • Organize a gala event or a special dinner – WSD is a glamorous opportunity to raise awareness for sepsis in your network, including for fundraising. For example, check out the Sepsis Heroes Gala Event by the Sepsis Alliance.


Pink Picnic

Set up a pink picnic. Pink Picnics are social events where pink is used to signify the relation to World Sepsis Day. You can include pink salads or cupcakes, BBQs, treats, beverages, plates, other table decor...and whatever you can think of. Decorate using pink balloons. Both pink picnic, as well as event materials, are available in our toolkit section.


ILLUMINATE A BUILDING

  • Lighting Landmarks: Arrange to light up local landmarks in pink to symbolize sepsis awareness, and encourage people to share photos of these landmarks on social media. Like this one…


Online Events

  • Share our WSD Infographic on your Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram page or story, or put up a post mentioning @WorldSepsisDay

  • Share our Sepsis Awareness Clips on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, your website, or wherever else you’d like. They can also be used at physical events

  • Play our Sepsis Quiz – either online or printed out

  • Tweet about or at World Sepsis Day, using the hashtag #WorldSepsisDay, #StopSepsis, or #SaveLives

  • Add ‘September 13 is World Sepsis Day – Stop Sepsis, Save Lives’ to your email signature

  • Organize a Twitter chat, a webinar, a Reddit AMA, a Facebook Live, or a Periscope

  • Share the link to our toolkit section (worldsepsisday.org/toolkits) with your colleagues or friends, encouraging them to join the online campaign


Special Offer from Our Shop

WSD T-Shirt
€11.00

To help you gear up for World Sepsis Day, we're excited to announce a special promotion from our shop. For a limited time, use the promo code FREETSHIRT to get a free t-shirt with any order over 50 euros. To claim this offer, simply add a shirt to your basket, complete the rest of your order, and then apply the discount code at checkout. This offer is valid for orders placed by August 13th.

This is a fantastic opportunity to wear your support and spark conversations about sepsis wherever you go.

Please visit our shop for a wide range of merchandise including t-shirts, lanyards, balloons, and more. There are items for any kind of event that will help you make a bold statement in the fight against sepsis.

Please note that deliveries are shipped from Berlin, Germany, which may result in longer arrival times due to shipping duration, customs processes, and other factors.


Join the Movement and Make an Impact

We encourage everyone to take photos during their events and share them on social media with the hashtags #WorldSepsisDay and #StopSepsis. Your participation can inspire others to get involved and help us reach a wider audience.

Also like and share our WSD posts on our social networks:

Together, we can make World Sepsis Day 2024 the most impactful yet. Let’s unite in our efforts to educate, inform, and ultimately save lives.

Don’t forget to mark your calendars for September 13th and start planning your World Sepsis Day event today. Let’s make a difference together.

Katja Couball
A Tribute to My Loved and Selfless Father: A Journey Through Sepsis and Multiple Organ Dysfunction

My father, a retired policeman, exemplified the importance of health and fitness throughout his life, inspiring both his family and peers with his dedication to caring for his body/mind and how to lead a happy life. 

Day Zero: Following a family gathering, my father and mother returned home, only for him to experience sudden vomiting and diarrhea during the night. Minimal interaction occurred between them, and upon awakening the next morning, my father appeared awake but notably drowsy and weak. Believing it to be a normal fever, my mother attempted to relieve his symptoms with fluids and paracetamol. Ensuring that he rests enough before the start of his daily routine. 

Day 1: Hours later, we roused him, finding his motor skills intact but his sensorium altered. Initially attributing this to weakness from diarrhea, we offered him fluids while I checked his vitals for the first time, noting a fever of 101°F and a heart rate of around 100 beats per minute. It wasn't until the evening, around 17:30, when we took him to a nearby clinic, that we discovered his pulse was unrecordable, necessitating immediate intensive care attention. By 18:30, he was admitted to the ER with hypotension (90/60), tachycardia (heart rate 140), and an irritable, altered sensorium, prompting suspicion of sepsis or encephalitis. He was swiftly transferred to intensive care and administered broader intravenous antibiotics followed by necessary investigations on blood, urine, and cerebra spinal fluid. 

Day 2: Despite receiving comprehensive treatment in the ICU, his condition and vitals did not improve. Subsequent investigation revealed leptospirosis as the underlying infection and focussed higher antibiotics were administered. Due to the higher creatinine levels, the doctors recommended kidney support by dialysis. With blood pressure still abnormal and the major deteriorating organ being the kidney, the doctors started slow dialysis. 

Day 3: Daily briefings from the doctors never conveyed positive news. They emphasized that the critical hours preceding his ER admission on Day 1 had led to irreversible deterioration and no sign of improvements in his vitals, resulting in multiple organ dysfunction. A harsh truth my mother and I, who had been with him throughout, must now come to terms with.

Day 4: With no signs of improvement, he required ventilator support. However, later that day, he developed bradycardia (slower heart rate), followed by CPR, and was ultimately pronounced dead. The cause of death was determined to be sepsis with multiple organ dysfunction.

Reflecting on his passing and after conversations with several medical experts, I believe that the hospital staff appropriately identified and treated sepsis. On the other side, if I had been aware of the symptoms of sepsis or recognized the significance of altered sensorium, we might have sought medical attention earlier. While the outcome might have remained unknown, I cannot help but recall an article I read after his passing - “the risk of death from sepsis increases by as much as 8% for every hour of delayed treatment.”

It has been a year since his passing, and I find myself reflecting on his goodness, striving to find meaning in his journey. The persistent question of why he, a person who diligently cared for his body, had to face such an abrupt departure, weighs heavily on all of us each day. While I lack medical expertise and recognize the limitations of modern medicine, it's crucial for us all to comprehend emergency situations and respond swiftly. This is the primary purpose of sharing our story. I do so in loving memory of Vasanth Kumar Gelli, a devoted son, husband, father, and friend. You are missed Nangar.

– Phani Gelli (Son)


The article above was written by Phani Gelli and is shared here with his explicit consent. The views in the article do not necessarily represent those of the Global Sepsis Alliance. They are not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The whole team here at the Global Sepsis Alliance and World Sepsis Day wishes to thank him for sharing his father’s story and for fighting to raise awareness for sepsis.


Katja Couball
2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis – Geneva Dialogue and Next Steps

The Global Sepsis Alliance extends its gratitude to co-organizing partners, distinguished speakers, and participants of the Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on the 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis convened in Geneva on May 28 in parallel to the 77th session of the World Health Assembly.

The GSA convened the meeting with the 6 strategic partners, whose support was critical in organizing the first High-Level Sepsis Side Events on the Margins of the UN General Assembly in New York and the 2023 World Health Summit in Berlin. The partner organizations include:

The Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue in Geneva was opened by Prof. Konrad Reinhart – Founding President of the GSA, Dr. Rudi Eggers – Director of Integrated Health Services (HIS) of the World Health Organization (WHO), and Dr. Anshu Banerjee – Director of WHO’s Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing. The speakers highlighted the importance of stronger sepsis response for the attainment of health-related SDGs, and related aspirations for Universal Health Coverage, maternal and child health, and AMR. They also reaffirmed the readiness of WHO and GSA for continued and closer collaboration in the finalization and enforcement of the new global strategy for sepsis in line with the 2017 World Health Assembly Resolution on Sepsis.

The full event can be watched here

The highlight of the opening session was the testimonial by Krista Bracke, a sepsis survivor and journalist from Belgium. First, she stressed the importance of recognition and listening to sepsis survivors by policymakers and decision-makers. Krista’s story of surviving sepsis began in 2009. Her sepsis case inducing multiple organ failure and septic shock led to the amputation of both of her legs. Her amazing story tells about the systemic failures and weaknesses of health systems to prevent and timely identify sepsis, as well as the life-changing experience she and her family had to go through. Over the last years, since regaining strengths, Krista has been actively engaged in awareness raising and advocacy efforts on sepsis and through her voice, trying to protect and save the lives of thousands of others.

Dr. Mariam Jashi – CEO of the Global Sepsis Alliance – former Member of Parliament, and Deputy Minister of Health of Georgia, moderated the meeting and delivered the main presentation on the basic framework of the 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis. As the first multi-year global vision and strategy for how to alleviate the immense human suffering and economic impact of sepsis worldwide, the 2030 Global Agenda is suggested to be structured around 5 Strategic Pillars:

  • Strategic Pillar 1: Political Leadership and Multilateral Cooperation

  • Strategic Pillar 2: Health System Readiness for Sepsis and Its Sequelae

  • Strategic Pillar 3: Whole-of-Society Response to Sepsis

  • Strategic Pillar 4: Sepsis Research and Innovations

  • Strategic Pillar 5: Sepsis in Pandemics and Other Emergencies

Dr. Jashi’s presentation was followed by feedback and comments from multiple stakeholders. The proposed structure of the 2030 Global Agenda and the 5 Strategic Pillars received overwhelmingly positive feedback and endorsement by the meeting participants. The delegates also reaffirmed their readiness for closer collaboration, engagement in subsequent rounds of the document review, and ultimately, for supporting implementation of the first global strategy.

The stakeholders also shared additional inputs to the draft framework of the 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis. As an example, a stronger focus on primary health care was recommended, as an important platform for prevention, early detection, referral, and timely treatment of sepsis cases. The partners also suggested a stronger focus on training nurses and midwives as key frontline workforce managing sepsis cases, especially among women and children. Finally, in addition to integrating sepsis into undergraduate medical curricula, engagement of medical students in awareness-raising campaigns, and considering region-specific limitations of IT capacities, was also recommended.  

The GSA is grateful for the supportive positions and insightful contributions from partners and delegates of the Geneva Dialogue. The names and affiliations of the speakers are presented below according to the chronology of the actual proceedings of the May 28 meeting.

  • Dr. Ricardo Baptista Leite – President, UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health and CEO of the Health AI Agency

  • Mr. Carsten Schicker – CEO and Managing Director World Health Summit

  • Dr. Benedetta Allegranzi – Unit Head, Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), Unit Technical Lead, IPC Taskforce and the Global IPC Network, World Health Organization

  • Ms. Victoria Grandsoult – Managing Director, Virchow Foundation for Global Health

  • Dr. Teri Reynolds – Unit Head, Clinical Services and Systems, Technical Lead, Acute Care Action Network (ACAN), World Health Organization

  • Dr. Janet Diaz Lead – Clinical Management and Operations Unit World Health Organization

  • Dr. Eleanor Nwadinobi – President Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA)

  • Dr. François Franceschi – Serious Bacterial Infections Project Leader, Global Antibiotic Research & Development Partnership (GARDP)

  • Ms. Lucia Perez Gomes – International Federation of Medical Students Associations

  • Dr. Mohammed Abdulaziz – Head of the Division of Disease Control and Prevention, Africa CDC

  • Mrs. Stacey Orsat – President, Europe, S Asia, ANZ Masimo

  • Ms. Cécile Barral-Baron – Global Public Affairs Lead, Vaccines Sanofi

  • Dr. Iwan Märki – Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder Abionic

  • Dr. Ghada Zoubaine – Head of Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement International Center for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions (ICARS), and

  • Dr. Eliza Lo Chin – Executive Director, American Medical Women’s Association  

The GSA also expresses its special gratitude to the following partner organizations for their continued support of the sepsis cause:

  • Dr. David Ripin – Vice President of Access Programs and Chief Scientific Officer at the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI)

  • Dr. Keith Martin – Executive Director Consortium of Universities for Global Health, and  

  • Prof. Kevin Outterson – Founder & Executive Director, CARB-X


More about the 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis

The 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis is intended to consolidate the latest evidence and knowledge on (a) the human, societal, and economic burden of sepsis, (b) key foundations and achievements in the global fight against sepsis over the past two decades, (c) remaining challenges towards more effective prevention, early identification and treatment of sepsis, and (d) the way forward for reinvigorating the sepsis response at global, regional and national levels.

The document will reiterate the current reality that sepsis every year affects 48.9 million people worldwide, including 26.2 million women and girls, and 20.3 million under-5 children. Sepsis claims the lives of 13.7 million children, women, and men annually, including 4.95 million deaths associated with or attributable to AMR. An estimated 5.1 million deaths from sepsis result from secondary infectious complications of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) or injury, and people affected by HIV, TB, and Malaria remain at an increased risk of sepsis.  Finally, the new strategic document will highlight that based on the experience from COVID-19, any future pandemics will result in an increased risk of sepsis and related mortality.

The 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis will reaffirm existing risks that health-related SDGs and aspirations for Universal Health Coverage (UHC), Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health (MNCH), Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), Pandemic Accord or Patient Safety cannot be achieved without a reinvigorated sepsis response. Yet, sepsis is still not visible in the mainstream of Global Health and Development Architecture. As of 2024, less than 10% of UN Member States have prioritized sepsis in their national policies and action plans and implemented the historic 2017 World Health Resolution on Sepsis (WHA70.7).

Based on the situation and gap analysis of the global sepsis response, as the way forward, the GSA is proposing to structure the 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis around the following 5 Strategic Pillars:

  1. Political Leadership and Multilateral Cooperation

  2. Health System Readiness for Sepsis and Its Sequelae

  3. Whole-of-Society Response to Sepsis

  4. Sepsis Research and Innovations

  5. Sepsis in Pandemics and Other Emergencies

The full narrative document of the 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis is currently under internal revision by the GSA Board members and Chairs of Regional Sepsis Alliances.

From July 15 through September 5 the draft document will be shared for external consultation rounds that will engage all member and partner organizations of the GSA from public and private sectors, academia, and civil society. Special attention will be given to inputs and contributions from sepsis survivors and families who have lived through the sepsis experiences.

The 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis as the first multi-year global strategy will be officially launched in September on the margins of the 2024 World Sepsis Day campaigns in Berlin and globally across the Regional Sepsis Alliances.

The document will serve as the common vision for mobilizing critically needed political support and multilateral cooperation for positioning sepsis in the mainstream of the Global Health Architecture, as well as health system strengthening, awareness raising, research, innovations, and accountability for this global health threat.

The Global Sepsis Alliance looks forward to the continued dialogue with multiple stakeholders for finalizing and implementing the 2030 Global Agenda for Sepsis to save the lives of millions of children, women, and men globally.

Katja Couball
Session “Challenges and Solutions for Early Recognition and Treatment of Sepsis" from the 2024 WSC Spotlight Now Available on YouTube and as a Podcast

Session 9 from the 2024 World Sepsis Congress Spotlight is now available on YouTube (embedded above) and as a Podcast on Apple Podcasts (search for World Sepsis Congress in your favorite podcast app).


Session 9: Challenges and Solutions for Early Recognition and Treatment of Sepsis

ARCS: Understanding Risk Factors for Delayed Presentation and Care of Sepsis Patients in DRC, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone
Patrick de Marie Katoto, Catholic University of Bukavu, DRC

Sepsis Check – A Preclinical Checklist for Early Detection and Education
Wiltrud Abels, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany

Early Resuscitation of Septic Shock in the ED – Which Perfusion Parameters for Target Resuscitation?
Glenn Hernández Poblete, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Chile

Sepsis in Brazilian Emergency Departments: A Prospective Multicenter Observational Study
Flavia Machado, Latin American Sepsis Institute, Brazil

Smart Triage: Electronic Support for Early Recognition and Triage of Severely Ill Patients in Ugandan Emergency Departments
Mark Ansermino, BC Children’s Hospital, Canada

Closing Remarks
Michael Wong, Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety, United States of America


This was the final session of the 2024 WSC Spotlight – all sessions and presentations are now available to watch/listen to.


Thank you for your interest in the 2024 WSC Spotlight over the last couple of weeks. World Sepsis Congress will return with the 5th World Sepsis Congress in April 2025.

Marvin Zick
2024 WSC Spotlight Report: Statistics and Numbers from the 2024 World Sepsis Congress Spotlight

Thank you so much for participating in the 2024 WSC Spotlight in April – it was our pleasure having all of you.

12,230 people from 185 countries registered to participate, which is astonishing. 65% of our audience joined from low- and middle-income countries – indicating that sepsis is a true global health threat, not recognizing borders or the perceived quality of a healthcare system. This truly highlights our mission with World Sepsis Congress – to bring knowledge about sepsis to all parts of the world.

We were particularly excited with your feedback – it is inspirational to hear how much you enjoyed the congress. Please click through the full report above or download it as a PDF below. Feel free to share it with colleagues, friends, family members, and beyond.

8 of the 9 sessions are already available on YouTube, as a Podcast on Apple Podcasts, and on the congress website, with session 9 being released tomorrow, July 2. CME Credits are available via the PPAHS, our partner organization.

Thanks for your interest over the last weeks – we can’t wait to return with the 5th World Sepsis Congress in April 2025.

To support or to contribute to World Sepsis Congress in the future, please contact us.

Marvin Zick
Session “Personalized Approaches to Sepsis Management" from the 2024 WSC Spotlight Now Available on YouTube and as a Podcast

Session 8 from the 2024 World Sepsis Congress Spotlight is now available on YouTube (embedded above) and as a Podcast on Apple Podcasts (search for World Sepsis Congress in your favorite podcast app).


Session 8: Personalized Approaches to Sepsis Management

TREM-1 Pathway
Bruno Francois, Dupuytren University Hospital, France

ARDS: Room for Precision Treatment?
Carolyn Calfee, University of California, San Francisco Medical Center, United States of America

Modulation of Complement
Alexander Vlaar, Amsterdam UMC, The Netherlands

Macrolides for Community-Acquired Pneumonia
Michael Niederman, Weill Cornell Medicine, United States of America

Reversal of Immunoparalysis
Sara Cajander, Örebro University, Hospital, Sweden


Sessions are released weekly on Tuesdays. The next and final session will be ‘Challenges and Solutions for Early Recognition and Treatment of Sepsis’ on July 2, 2024.

You can already subscribe on either platform to be automatically notified once new sessions are available.


Full Release Schedule

  • S1: Opening Session: The Renewed Global Agenda for Sepsis – Tuesday, May 7, 2024

  • S2: The Need for Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Sepsis in Surgical Patients – Tuesday, May 14, 2024

  • S3: Data, AI, and Predictive Modeling in Sepsis – Tuesday, May 21, 2024

  • S4: How Does Hypervolemia Increase the Mortality Risk in Sepsis? – Tuesday, May 28, 2024

  • S5: The Role of Biomarkers in the Early Detection of Sepsis – Tuesday, June 4, 2024

  • S6: Detecting Sepsis in the Ventilated Patient – Tuesday, June 11, 2024

  • S7: Closing the Needs in Pediatric Sepsis – Tuesday, June 18, 2024

  • S8: Personalized Approaches to Sepsis Management – Tuesday, June 25, 2024

  • S9: Challenges and Solutions for Early Recognition and Treatment of Sepsis – Tuesday, July 2, 2024


Marvin Zick
Dr. Mariam Jashi at the First Global Self-Care Summit

Dr. Mariam Jashi, CEO of the Global Sepsis Alliance joined the distinguished panelists of the First Global Self-Care Summit held in parallel with the 77th Session of the World Health Assembly in Geneva.

The summit brought together high-level policymakers and global health experts, including Dr. Mary Munive Angermüller, Vice-President and Minister of Health of Costa Rica as the keynote speaker and senior representatives of the Ministries of Health of Egypt and Malawi as co-hosts of the event as part of their ongoing work to elevate self-care in national health policies. Ministerial delegations from Guatemala, Belize, Panama, and El Salvador also attended and contributed to the discussions on how to integrate self-care into wider health plans in the Latin American region.

Upon invitation of Judy Stenmark, the Director General of the Global Self-Care Federation, Dr, Jashi spoke on behalf of the UNITE Parliamentarians Network and the Global Sepsis Alliance and emphasized the legislative and executive approaches how to integrate self-care into public health policies. She shared the stage with Dr Manjulaa Narasimhan, Acting Unit Head for Sexual Health and well-being at the World Health Organization; Professor Iain Chapple from the Institute Clinical Studies, University of Birmingham; Ellos Lodzeni - Chair, International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations (IAPO) and Wendy Olayiwola, President, Nigerian Nurses Association UK and Professional Midwifery Advocate.

At the follow-up bilateral discussions after the summit, Mariam Jashi and Judy Stenmark discussed prospects of continued collaboration between the UNITE Parliamentarian Network, the Global Sepsis Alliance, and the Global Self-Care Foundation, including how to integrate self-care in Universal Health Coverage policies and initiatives, and expressed hopes for future collaboration for the advancement of the reinvigorated global agenda for sepsis.

Katja Couball
Session “Closing the Needs in Pediatric Sepsis" from the 2024 WSC Spotlight Now Available on YouTube and as a Podcast

Session 7 from the 2024 World Sepsis Congress Spotlight is now available on YouTube (embedded above) and as a Podcast on Apple Podcasts (search for World Sepsis Congress in your favorite podcast app).


Session 7: Closing the Needs in Pediatric Sepsis

The Phoenix Criteria – How We Got Here
Luregn Schlapbach, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Switzerland

The Phoenix Criteria Revealed
Daniela de Souza, Global Sepsis Alliance, Brazil

Personalized Care Post-Discharge for Sepsis
Matthew Wiens, University of British Columbia, Canada

The Latest Update on Fluid Therapy in Sepsis
Jhuma Sankar, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, India

The Advances of the WHO in Pediatric Sepsis Initiatives
Emilie Calvello-Hynes, World Health Organization, Switzerland

Empiric Treatment of Neonatal Sepsis: Progress to Date
Sally Ellis, Global Antibiotic Research & Development Partnership, Switzerland


Sessions are released weekly on Tuesdays. The next session will be ‘Personalized Approaches to Sepsis Management’ on June 25, 2024.

You can already subscribe on either platform to be automatically notified once new sessions are available.


Full Release Schedule

  • S1: Opening Session: The Renewed Global Agenda for Sepsis – Tuesday, May 7, 2024

  • S2: The Need for Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Sepsis in Surgical Patients – Tuesday, May 14, 2024

  • S3: Data, AI, and Predictive Modeling in Sepsis – Tuesday, May 21, 2024

  • S4: How Does Hypervolemia Increase the Mortality Risk in Sepsis? – Tuesday, May 28, 2024

  • S5: The Role of Biomarkers in the Early Detection of Sepsis – Tuesday, June 4, 2024

  • S6: Detecting Sepsis in the Ventilated Patient – Tuesday, June 11, 2024

  • S7: Closing the Needs in Pediatric Sepsis – Tuesday, June 18, 2024

  • S8: Personalized Approaches to Sepsis Management – Tuesday, June 25, 2024

  • S9: Challenges and Solutions for Early Recognition and Treatment of Sepsis – Tuesday, July 2, 2024


Marvin Zick